Everyone Had Passed Through
by Lemniscate35173
Summary: "Tom had seen almost every magic using witch or wizard pass through these walls."


**I don't own Harry Potter.**

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Almost every witch and wizard that knew of magic had passed through the Leaky Cauldron at one point or another. That's the way things had always been with the pub. It wasn't so dirty that you would be embarrassed to be seen in it, and Tom always kept patrons from be coming too drunk. It had a reasonably good atmosphere; it wasn't the ever friendly Three Broomsticks, but you wouldn't be afraid to let your kids eat lunch in it. All of these things contributed to the constant foot traffic of the Leaky Cauldron. Of course, being the entrance to Diagon Alley helped.

It was because of this that Tom had seen almost every magic using witch or wizard pass through these walls. It was nearly impossible for an underage witch or wizard to enter without doing so. The Floo connections went a fireplace reserved specifically for that just by the entrance to the all, and the only other way to access the alley was through Apparition, which the underage could not do. Side-Along Apparition was also not recommended for young children unless absolutely life-or-death necessary.

Even after being allowed to Apparate, most still came through the Leaky Cauldron, mostly owing to a sense of nostalgia. Thus, Tom had seen the face of almost every witch and wizard that knew about magic in Great Britain. He had seen the happy smiles of bright-eyed eleven year-old kids who had just discovered magic. He had seen the mischievous grins of trouble-making teenagers running wild up and down the alley. He had seen the loving faces of mothers and fathers taking their child for a quick shopping trip.

Not everyone was a good person. He had seen the sleazy smirk of dishonest stall sellers out capitalizing on the now constant element of fear. He had seen the shifty eyes of that person who has everything you need, as long as you're willing to pay and keep quiet about it; not that such business ever happened in his bar, mind you. Worst of all he had seen the pompous sneer of those who thought they were better than everyone else, and weren't afraid to use any means possible to get it that way.

Indeed, Tom had seen the way that those types of people walked through his bar. He didn't see much of them after they turned seventeen, up until they had kids. They walked through the bar like its very existence was an insult, which he supposed to them it might be.

When the war started, the one those people were wraging, Tom would admit he was a coward. He didn't do anything openly in defiance, He didn't ban Death Eaters from coming in the bar, nor did he publicly admit that he thought the Death Eaters were wrong. He just watched from his bar as those bright-eyed eleven year-old kids were led off into a world where they would be hunted like they weren't even human. He watched quietly as the girl with crooked, blonde pigtails, the boy so excited he stuttered as he asked how to get into the alley, and the girl with a dirt smudged on her cheeks and a rip in her dress all went of blindly to a world that would require them to pay in blood just for how they were born.

It was the girl with the red ponytail that got him to finally do something. She had looked so much like his precious niece, the sweet little girl who had died before her time. And here he was, watching a girl just like her get led off into a world that would offer her the same fate.

It was in memory of his niece, and all the others out there that he did what he did next. The girl, with her ponytail gradually slipping out was walking up to the bar, something he still found astonishing; parents letting their ten and eleven year old children walk up to an admittedly rather creepy looking bartender in a world they knew nothing about. Then again, after learning that your child was magical, you were bound to be a bit more open-minded about things.

Her question was just the same as every other child's. "Can you help me get into the alley?"

Tom looked down at her. The resemblance really was uncanny. "Yes, I can, but can I speak to your parent first, miss?"

The girl smiled, obviously excited for this trip, and proud of being called miss. He had an urge to smile, but he held it back. It was best not to scare the patrons. "Okay."

Her ponytail bobbed behind her. The girl pulled on the shirts of a pair of adults standing near the doorway, observing the place in a less than discreet manner. They all walked back towards Tom.

It was the mother that spoke. "Our daughter told us you wished to speak with us."

Tom nodded. "Correct, Madam. Though I only meant the two of you."

The mother looked down at the daughter, who took the queue to leave, though Tm had no doubt she would be trying to listen to every word from her spot across the pub. "Now then," He said, "I know that you all are new to this world, but there is something that you need to know concerning your daughter's well-being. Things have been tense here in Britain for people like her. People of non-magical parentage, that is. There are people out there who will try to hurt her because you do not have magic. I just thought that you all should know. I doubt that they tell you when she enrolls."

Tom looked into the eyes of the parents. He could see they were still processing things. "I'll show you to the alley now, if you'll follow me."

The girl came back across the pub when she saw her parents move. He led the trio to the access point, and tapped the bricks' familiar pattern. Tom still didn't openly defy the Death Eaters, but he did try to warn the muggleborn. He thought maybe that made him less of a coward.


End file.
